Chionochloa : A Case of Mistaken Identity

New Zealand Snow Tussock grasses are among the most beautiful evergreen grasses, especially in winter. Yet these grasses are rarely seen for sale in the UK and it seems that growing them from seed can be a bit of a lottery.

“I see again the upland wilds, stern, rugged, bleak and bare;
The strong winds sweep o’er hill sides steep
And the tussocks toss in the icy air,
Silver and gold in the changing light,
Gold and silver far-up on height
Of the mountain wild and bare.”

David McKee Wright (1869-1928) was an Irish-born journalist, on his arrival in New Zealand he worked on two farming stations in South Island’s Otago region. This extract from his nostalgic poem The Open Country recalls the magestic sight of vast, wild colonies of these grasses. Clearly, he was badly smitten.

My much more modest version, a group of five down in the yard, have yet to reach square-metre maturity. I wrote about them last year in a post Easy Evergreen Grasses. At that time I grew two snow tussock grasses, one red and one green leaved form.

Chionochloa (green leaved form) March 2016

These magnificent two-metre tall specimens were a generous gift from a friend, they’d been grown from NZ seed supplied as Chionochloa flavicans. Even in late winter their flowers are stunning.

Chionochloa conspicua infloresences March

Close up of the same

Throughout the course of 2015 it became apparent that they may in fact be an entirely different species of chionochloa, the alternative green leaved species being flavescens or conspicua. Perhaps there was a clue in the specific epithet itself?

Chionochloa conspicua subsp.conspicua, Metcalf (1998)

Conspicua possesses the most conspicuously showy flowers. In February, a seriously grassy minded friend lent me an excellent handbook, Lawrie Metcalf’s The Cultivation of Native New Zealand Grasses (Godwit, 1998). As well as containing good quality plates of mature specimens, it’s packed full of useful information about lots of NZ grasses many of which are widely known in the UK. It’s a shame that the second edition of 2008 is unavailable in the UK.

C.flavescens, Metcalf (1998)

C.flavicans, Metcalf (1998)

These are the other two green leaved forms. At a glance they look less similar to the ones gracing my patio steps, and, the closer you look, the greater the differences between them.

Allan Cunningham (1791-1839) Botanist and plant hunter

Metcalf’s botanically detailed observations plus line drawings have been very helpful, he describes two subspecies of conspicua, one of which is named ‘cunninghamii’.

The nitty gritty : hairy ligules?

Metcalf states that Chionochloa conspicua subsp.conspicua is distinguished from C.c.subsp.cunninghamii “by the basal leaf-sheaths being rather flattened and silky-hairy, while those of the latter are more rounded and smooth.”. This was exciting news to me.

Especially as I bumped into a lovely one bearing a proper (if broken) label in a bona fide planstwoman’s garden back in December. I wrote a post about my visit to this garden, Pinetum Park and Pine Lodge Gardens here. What I thought, pre Metcalf and the all important hairy ligules, was that the flowers looked different from those I had at home. The panicles were more upright and the flowering spikelet airier … the leaves looked broader too.

2008 edition

Metcalf : Tawapou Coastal Natives Nusery, 2015

New Zealand Queen’s Service Order badge of honour

All of this might seem a bit dry and dusty, but it raises some important questions for an amateur collector like me. Who’s say-so or what information can I trust? I assume trusting Metcalf is a safe bet, he is pre-eminent in the world of hebes in particular and an authority on New Zealand flora in general. His outstanding contribution to horticulture is internationally recognised : he was awarded the prestigious RHS Veitch Gold Medal of Honour in 1991. Then, in 2010, he was appointed as a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) for his community service in posts such as Assistant Director of Christchurch Botanic gardens. Ever helpful, Wikipedia has a link for an NZ government page which explains the symbolism of the modern QSO badge : inscribed above the native Manuka flower is the commendation ‘For Service – Mō Nga Mahi Nui’ ; it’s suspended on a ribbon in traditional Maori colours (black, white and red); and, while the stepped pattern refers to the steps of service it’s also happens to be a common Maori motif for the steps to heaven.

I’ve really enjoyed my winter reading odyssey, I’ve come across lots of interesting stuff along the way. Based on Metcalf’s observations, I’m updating last year’s post to Chionchloa conspicua. Armed with a hand lense, sleuthing for botanical clues in my own plants was fun. However, on a fine spring day watching the way the remains of last year’s airy plumes nod in the warm breeze and catch the light remains the greater pleasure.

You brought that out with your beautiful pictures and now I felt in love with the idea of using grass. Only I have to find some looking like yours for our part of the world.
Thank you again for your wonderful post.

How exciting to read about our lovely tussocks! Unfortunatey many acres have been ploughed under to make ‘grass’!!! Also when grass became fashionable for street plantings a lot of mistakes were made and it now seems obvious that mountain grasses don’t like low lands. Especially hot humid wet places like Auckland!!! I can remember one particular vista of tussock when driving towards Te Anau – miles and miles of lovely shimmery waving golden tussock!!! Sometimes humans are late learners and don’t appreciate what grows in an area is better than something imported from ‘Dear old Britian’ that grows rampant here – and smothers out the natives! The movement is now to plant more natives and try and undo the damage that was created 150 years ago. All along our motorways we are growing natives and they look great. Hopefully also creating bird corridors.

Many thanks for your very interesting comment, Yvonne, as a New Zealander yourself, I was hoping you’d say something about this. What a loss the tussock grasslands must be. I haven’t seen them for myself, I can only imagine the magnificence of such scenery. Also, thank you for sharing your own memories of the drive to Te Anau with us, such sights make a powerful impression don’t they?

Had to smile, Kate, at the referendc to your seriously grassy minded friend – do you not consider yourself to be in the same league…?! I loved reading about your detective work and am definitely going to invest in a grasses book to increase my limited knowledge

I’m a mere if keen apprentice, Cathy, especially where grasses that are new to me are concerned. Most come with an unambiguous label. Phew! Like most of us who love their plants, the ones I’ve grown for several years are like old friends, they become so familiar we can spot them a mile off.

Pure awesome to see grasses and wildflowers en masse in nature! I saw them too in New Zealand. Haven’t got it in my garden though, had Anemanthele, another NZ grass, but it didn’t thrive either. Bit tricky here with the fot, dry summers and wet winters. I have Rick Darke’s books. Love visiting your page – fab place for grass and garden lovers :)

How wonderful to have seen wild colonies, guess you have some wonderful photos as well as memories. I like Darke for images of sweeping landscapes be they natural or cultivated, in this respect his encyclopaedia is a great source of inspiration. Thank you for the lovely compliment, Annette!

It’s always exciting to come across wildflowers and plants in nature that we know from our gardens too. It’s a great way of learning about their needs and so easy, all you have to do is go through the world with your eyes (and heart) wide open. :)

I purchased ‘rubra’ when I saw it in the Garden House garden, Devon. It is a wonderful grass. I have tried several times without success to propagate it from seed. It is a now a large plant, have you successfully divided one Kate?

Good question. Only conspicua which I think grows differently from rubra, bits break off easily whereas rubra has a compact base. However, I’ve grown a small 1 litre division on, it’s much slower than 2 litre purchases. If you want an extra plant from a division, perhaps it’s worth considering slicing a good sized portion out of a mature specimen without digging the whole thing up.
Maybe spare your beautiful rubra, try seed again? Derry Watkins, Special Plants, gives different methods/tips for autumn v spring sowing. So far, no seedlings here either.